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Mom said ‘Don’t play with your food’ but she isn’t here now is she?! Photo: Bob Plumb

Alex Tank has been around for a while now and he managed to do so without having to fight for victory in contests. Being part of Isenseven for years – not just as a rider but also on the production side – he has made a name for himself with his creative parts and ideas, not to mention a good attitude when it comes to industry shenanigans.

Whether it’s the Jib Factory, which was less of a contest and more of an excuse for some of Europe’s finest snowboarders to ride together and hang out, or the Atagge Demos, which were basically on a similar blueprint but for all the homies, Alex was always up to something.

Plenty of reasons why having Tank on your Team will most certainly lead to some fresh projects and that’s what Adidas Snowboarding probably had in mind when they brought Alex on board as their first Euro. We decided to use the opportunity and catch up with him…

So Alex, how did you get into snowboarding in the first place?

I started snowboarding when i was 11 or 12, I guess. I got my first spark of snowy inspiration when I saw a snowboarder on the hill in Allgäu, Germany and immediately asked my parents to get me a snowboard. For some really cool reason they said yes.

What’s your favourite crew to ride and hang with right now?

Well, being home with the Foreal and Atagge guys always lightens up my day. Just cruising and having a good day on and off the hill. Same goes with the Gnarly guys.

Foreal Project is a little label/crew/movement/blog my really good friend Basti Kuhn brought into being around 4 years ago. As you can guess by the name it’s about staying real to the things that matter in life. Snowboarding is only one part of it, as well as art, tattoos, motorbikes and everything that inspires us in one way or another.

You’re backing grassroots events like the Jib Factory and the Atagge Demos. Why are events like that important to you?

Even though I somehow competed in railjams when I was younger, I never really felt comfortable there. I liked the fact that everybody came out to hang and have a good time together, but as soon as the contest was on, it felt like such a fake comradeship and the actual fact of winning was so omnipresent. Since this is not my view of snowboarding, I wanted to delete that fact from events and that’s the whole concept behind happenings like the Jib Factory or the Demos. Nobody has to show off and the level of riding grows naturally without any pressure from crowds or judges. That’s where the best snowboarding usually happens and riders are “really” getting stoked.

You were a regular face in the Isenseven crew. What conclusion did you draw from their quitting making snowboard movies? For you, personally, and the industry as a whole?

I really hope “A Way We Go” was not the last Isenseven release, but after 11 years of doing exactly the same, Alex Schiller as a producer came to the conclusion that he’s going for new adventures. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll never ever release another film. Officially it is only a creative break for Isenseven and since riders like DBK and me got more involved in the production side during the last two years, I’m really looking forward to some new project in the future.

You’re now on adidas, how did that come about?

As a brand based in Germany, I guess adidas just needed a German snowboarder, haha. And since I’ve always been a big fan of their skate programme, I was confident enough that they’ll be heading into a similar direction in snowboarding. So far, this has exactly been the case, thus I’m more than than honoured to be a part of that.

Who are you going to film with this season? Anything planned yet?

A lot of planning going on right now. Nothing official yet, though. Keep your eyes open…

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